1. Statement of the Technical Field
The invention relates generally to strollers for children, and more particularly to a collapsible stroller incorporating a decorative skirt for giving the stroller the appearance of something other than a stroller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Strollers for transporting young children are well known in the art. Strollers are typically formed from metal tubing, various structural plastic components, cushions and fabric coverings. These components are generally arranged to form a child seat on wheels that can be pushed by an adult. Often, the seats are designed to recline for child comfort. A wide variety of stroller designs are available and well known in the art. In general these designs are sturdy and perform quite well.
Within the broad class of strollers that are commercially available, there exists a particular type of stroller that is relatively light in weight and which is designed so that it can be collapsed for compact storage. Typically, rigid metal and plastic structural elements forming such strollers are connected together with various linkages that permit the components to change orientation or move relative to one another. These linkages typically include pivot connections, sliding links, and various other movable connections. These linkages generally allow elongated structural components of the stroller to be oriented so that they are substantially aligned in the same orientation when collapsed. Consequently, such strollers can be easily collapsed and stored compactly when not in use.
Colors and fabrics of strollers are usually chosen to be attractive to adults and/or children. Generally, the seat fabrics, sun-shade and other portions of the stroller are covered with a fabric, color or design intended to enhance the overall appearance of the product. While these designs are usually tasteful and attractive to adults, they do little to spark the imagination of the children who ride in them. Still, such strollers inevitably must be lightweight, collapsible and functional, so there are limited options available for a designer wishing to provide an imaginative design for children.
In contrast, strollers that are not designed to be collapsed can allow designers greater latitude in the stroller design. For example, the appearance of the stroller can be modified to resemble something other than a stroller. This can be accomplished by means of body panels and parts that are attached to the stroller so that the stroller will resemble something exciting or fun for children. However, such arrangements are not very practical for conventional folding strollers where convenience and weight are key concerns. The decorative framework and panels generally tend to make the folding stroller heavy and impractical to transition to a folded condition.